The invention relates to an image recognition device, a copy apparatus and an image recognition method.
A conventional image recognition device is disclosed in JP-A-2002-77609. The image recognition device includes an image reading means for reading image information from a manuscript, discriminating a specific mark in which plural marks are arranged from the image information.
In more detail, the image recognition device includes an extraction means for extracting marks included in image information, a distance calculating means for calculating distances between marks and a discrimination means for determining that there is the specific mark in image information when distances between marks correspond to distances between marks of the specific mark.
The conventional image recognition device having the above configuration is mounted on, for example, a copy apparatus including a printing means for performing printing based on image information. The image recognition device can take illegal copy prevention measures such as stopping printing processing after that when determining that there is a specific mark in image information. Accordingly, the image recognition device discriminates the specific mark included in a manuscript such as a banknote or a classified document to prevent illegal copying.
In order to prevent the copy apparatus from being misused for illegal copying of a banknote or a classified document, it is required that determination accuracy of the image recognition device is improved.